An award-winning energy-storage project in Texas managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is demonstrating the effectiveness of using advanced lead–acid batteries to store power generated by a wind farm for more effective power grid management—solid progress in the nation’s drive toward smart grid evolution.

The storage system in the Notrees Battery Project regulates a west Texas wind farm’s naturally variable output by using batteries to store energy generated by wind turbines, returning that energy back to the grid in brief bursts that are critical to maintaining grid integrity. The project is helping expand the use of renewable energy through efficient integration of alternative energy into the power grid.

The project was honored with the top utility-scale energy storage innovation award at the 2013 Energy Storage North America (ESNA) Conference and Expo held September 10–12, 2013, in San Jose, Calif. The award winners were judged on services provided to the grid, financial options, ownership models, and technology strengths.

The $44 million project, America’s largest battery-storage project at a wind farm, was constructed under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Demonstration Program with $22 million in matching federal funds. NETL’s Office of Energy Project Management oversees the project, as well as 31 other smart grid demonstration projects in support of the Energy Department’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.

The 153‑megawatt Notrees Wind Farm is owned and operated by Duke Energy (Charlotte, N.C.), which provides power to more than 7 million Americans across eight states. The facility for the 36-megawatt lead–acid battery was procured as a turn-key operation from Texas-based Xtreme Power, which acted as the designer, installer, and operator.

The project is playing a significant role in redefining the future of energy storage over the next two years of operation. For more information, please visit the NETL Smart Grid webpage.

Each month, NETL and many other of the Energy Department’s national labs showcase their work in various areas that benefit the nation. This story is part of a series on the labs’ contributions to "Electricity Across America." For more information, please visit the Energy Department’s national lab webpagenational lab webpage.